Right, but that still doesn’t do what the headline says it does. The Republican majority didn’t change. It didn’t get worse, but it didn’t get any better either.
The margin usually refers to the number of votes that they can safely lose in their own party and still have a bill pass, so with the same number of GOP reps the margin shouldn’t change.
No? The seat was already held by a democrat.
Brian Higgins retired
That’s fine, but the seat was held by a democrat previously. Literally the first paragraph of the article.
Technically, the seat was empty until the special election
Right, but that still doesn’t do what the headline says it does. The Republican majority didn’t change. It didn’t get worse, but it didn’t get any better either.
If the seat was empty, it did change.
Too lazy to look up actual numbers but…
If it was 6 vs 10 and then a dem retires it becomes 5 vs 10.
Months pass at 5 vs 10 where they have a larger margin. Then the election happens and it goes back to 6 vs 10.
Now the margin is smaller again.
This is kind of like talking about my weight. It’s the same now as before, but that week around Easter was a little dicey.
Worth it
The margin usually refers to the number of votes that they can safely lose in their own party and still have a bill pass, so with the same number of GOP reps the margin shouldn’t change.
6 vs 10
4 person difference. if 2 GOP vote against
becomes 8 vs 8
It’s a tie and the bill fails.
5 vs 10 after rep retires before seat is filled
if 2 GOP vote against
becomes 7 vs 8
GOP passes bill.
Seat gets filled and it’s now 6 vs 10 again
Notice how the GOP rep count didn’t change.